Healy Chen

Rainy and overcast weather is terrible for the traveler but excellent for photos. Colors simply pop. 

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall with Taipei Dome in the back. The stadium was under construction when I was visited two years ago and it’s surprisingly still not done.

Walking towards Taipei 101 as the locals head to work. 

The Taipei 101 tower segments the evokes the patterns of an Asian pagoda and a stalk of Chinese bamboo. evoked in the a stalk of bamboo.

Due to fog the view at the Taipei 101 observatory wasn't best, but the lack of other tourists was nice. 

Any tall building in Taiwan needs to withstand typhoon and earthquakes. Taipei 101 features the largest ball damper in the world to counteract forces.

The vast entrance to the National Palace Museum. 

No matter where we go, we are all one. 

The National Palace Museum holds arguably the biggest collection of Ming and Qing dynasty treasures. Paradoxical to find it in Taiwan and not mainland.

A local alleyway full of small eateries and parked mopeds. 

People heading home after a day's work. When public transport is so good and far-reaching, there's no need to own car. 

Where's the need to cook when food shops are so plenty and cheap everywhere in Taipei? 

And another day is done for the locals. 

Variety is the spice of life. 

A trip to Taipei is not complete without many visits to night markets. It's indeed foodie heaven. 

Of the numerous night markets in Taipei, the ones I think worth a for sure visit is Shilin and Roahe.

Pro tip for food markets: if you can stand to eat a bit early, go closer to opening hours to avoid the masses of people later. 

This particular tree-lined thoroughfare we walked pass has got almost a forest for a divider. 

Zhongxiao Road is one of the main arteries that cuts through nearly the entire width of Taipei. There's a variety of things to see so we took our time to stroll along quite a bit of it. 

Taipei: a city of mopeds. 

At the 'Zhongxiao Fuxing' subway station watching a brown line train arriving. 

Saw this architectural beauty of a condo as we walk along Zhongxiao road. 

You probably can't get any more 'green' than this. 

A gorgeous tree-lined boulevard in the heart of Taipei. 

The sun decided to come out as we approach Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. A stunning facade indeed. 

The world famous Liberty Square of Taipei. Mass gatherings of good or bad (it's democratic China, after all) happens here. 

The Kuomintang symbol prominently displayed adorning the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall dome. 

One of the two theatre spaces with its unique ancient Chinese architecture. 

The main Paifang at the entrance to Liberty Square. 

A look at one of the many subway station we utilized on the trip. 

The old northern gate of Taipei, the only remaining bit of the ancient walls that protected the city. 

The glorious old main branch of the Taipei post office. 

I guess you have to stack roadways like this when real estate is at a premium. 

The view from Zhongxiao bridge as we cross the Tamsui River going from Taipei to New Taipei City. 

The way Taipei have put the highway stacks by the riverfront here reminds me a bit of downtown Seattle. 

You know mopeds are king in the city when they've got dedicated lanes on bridges. 

The Ximending shopping district is the Harajuku/Myeongdong of Taipei. Come here for food, fashion, and youth culture. 

The Ximen subway station will take you right to the entrance of Ximending. 

Ximending has a thriving graffiti scene. We encountered this impressively large Suicide Squad themed mural. 

An impressive canopy sculpture at Ximending. 

Taipei 101's beauty comes alive at night.

The Sun Yat Sen Memorial Plaza at night looking towards Taipei 101. 

The world famous A-MEI Tea House at Jiufen, purported to be the inspiration of Miyazaki's Spirited Away. 

It's too bad one the day we went the fog was in full strength. 

The lanterns and architecture of Jiufen. 

Being on a hillside facing the ocean, a trip to Jiufen is going to involve plenty of stairs. 

The central shopping street in Jiufen is full of food and trinkets to trap tourists, but I did have the best red-bean cake I've ever ate here. 

Did some damp weather hiking in Maokong. 

Hiking in Maokong can be quite the workout. 

Catch your breath. 

Maokong district is the place to be in Taipei for one of the things Taiwan is famous for: tea. 

On a normal day one would be able to see Taipei 101 from Maokong. Unfortunately we did not go on a normal day. 

Sitting by the tea. 

One of the many tea houses in Maokong where you can sample tea and take in the views when the weather cooperates. 

The view of the Maokong area once you get off the gondola at Maokong station. One can also get to this same spot via local bus. 

No trip to Taipei is complete without hiking Elephant Mountain because it offers the best view of Taipei 101 and the surrounding area. 

The view afforded to you halfway up the main trail on Elephant Mountain. 

One for the postcards. 

A subway train pulling in to Beitou station. 

The architecture of Beitou Station. You'd want to come here because Beitou is the hot springs capital of Taipei. 

It's pleasantly odd to see an American icon like the Ford Mustang just popping up in Taipei. 

The red pavilion marks the center of town. Surrounding it is all manners of hot springs hotels/resorts. 

One of the main landmarks in Beitou is scenic Thermal Valley, showcasing a natural hot sulfur spring. It site for the eyes and the nose.  

In addition to all the hot springs action going on, Beitou also have one of the most architecturally ornate public libraries I've ever encountered. 

Flowing from up the mountains down through Beitou is a creek of natural spring water. Please don't be an idiot and trespass on the water. 

Clean and fresh enough to bottle. 

Even if hot springs aren't your thing, Beitou is so beautiful it's worth the subway ride from Taipei. 

One street over from the famous Raohe Street Night Market is the Keelung River and its surround recreation area. 

The aptly named Rainbow Bridge gives off a myriad of colors in its reflections off Keelung River. 

Looking west from Rainbow Bridge is Huandong Boulevard bridge and the Second MacArthur Bridge behind it. 

Rainbow Bridge doing its rainbow magic on the Keelung River. 

While it may look straight from afar, the Rainbow Bridge is a surprising bend. 

The view east standing on Rainbow Bridge.